Phoenix's Rebirth
by darkkight56
Summary: Obi-Wan has been sent to relive his life as a padawan from the moment he first met Anakin. He has taken it upon himself to try and prevent his past from coming true. What else has the Force oh so graciously gifted him with? Why does everyone say he seems more appealing? Will he he succeed in saving everyone, or bring about everyone's damnation? Time Travel AU.
1. Chapter 1

The dust was everywhere. He went outside for but a moment, and now it was in the very reaches of his trousers for Force sake! While Obi-Wan felt the seemingly omnipresent sand, his mind was elsewhere. Questions of how to defeat the Separatists' Army and the wellbeing of his master were on the forefront of his thoughts.

Qui-Gon had gone off to that trouble ridden town to bring back a child he had met. Curiosity filled his mind as he tried to think of new reasons as to why his master would want a youngling around, but that was short lived. The young padawan was worried for all that was happening and wondered if there was much hope for them during this time of chaos. He found himself wondering all that would happen should things not go in their favor; what would happen to Naboo and all its inhabitants.

The young man took a deep breath and let his worries go into the Force, he called on what his master taught him. Something was different this time, however. Instead of peace he felt a sorrow he had never know. Adrenalin ran through his veins and he found himself getting defensive, as though there was an enemy ready to strike at any moment.

 _There was a burning sensation surrounding him. He knew there was a Sith apprentice somewhere on this lava based planet. That thought pained him. How could he? How could he do this? How could he forsake all that he taught him, all that they went through together? Obi-wan opened his heart to this man, and even loved him, but he was only met with hate and darkness._

 _Just then, he heard a saber being drawn._

 _Drawing his own saber, he slowly turned around to face the Sith that he was ordered to kill by Yoda himself. He looked into the eyes of the man he spent a majority of his life with. Any hope he had stored away of seeing the boy he once knew was gone. His once warm blue eyes had turned yellow and they possessed a fury that he had never known. That fury, was directed at him._

The vision came and went. It left him in a state of discombobulation. He had no idea who that man was or why he felt so close to him. The Jedi in training had no idea what those visions were or why he saw them, but they went as soon as they came.

A loud bleating sound came out of nowhere. Obi-wan turned his head to where the sound came from and saw his master arriving upon the back of a dessert creature, following closely behind him he saw another creature with a small human child upon it. As they approached Obi-wan noticed it was a boy who couldn't be older than 10.

His master dismounted and greeted him warmly. Obi-wan felt all his doubt and worry wash away. Any discomfort he felt that was caused by the visions he saw melted at the sight of his master safe and sound.

"Greetings padawan, "Qui-Gon said with a teasing tone. "I hope you have not been troubling yourself with the matter of my safety. I am a fully trained Jedi you know. "

The apprentice smiled and looked down at his feet. His master knew him so well.

"You're probably wondering who I've brought back with me. Obi-wan, this is Anakin. Anakin, this is my apprentice, Obi-wan. "

As the padawan looked up to greet the young boy, he froze. Those steel blue eyes that pierced into the soul of anyone who looked into them met his grey ones. He couldn't breathe. This boy was Anakin. Anakin, the child he called padawan, friend, brother, and later on, his enemy.

"What's wrong Obi-Wan, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost. "

But Obi-wan did not hear him. A flood of memories came rushing in. Ones of great joy, sorrow, and oddly enough, peace. With the over load of memories filling his mind, the apprentice lost consciences and let the rest of the memories wash over him.

When Obi-wan woke, he saw that he was submerged in complete darkness. He did not know whether he was upside down or right side up. His mouth was as dry as a desert and his stomach growled with hunger. He felt so tired, like he could slumber for all of eternity, and yet he could scarcely remember a time in which he felt more alive. The last thing he could recall was Darth Vader's blood red saber striking him down, and then a euphoric white enveloping him.

He began to move his body parts. Not so much as to check their condition's, though that was in the back of his mind, but more so to make sure that they were all there. Tacking in the smells and sounds that were around him, the Jedi master concluded that he was on a cruiser.

This did not put him to ease at all. The only time he felt comfortable in a starship was when he was with …. well he tried not think of the past. Noticing that his feet and hands were not bound, and that he was lying in a clean and comfortable bed, Obi-wan began to assume that he was not entirely a prisoner to the owners of the cruiser.

With the haze of sleep beginning to wear off the Jedi attempted to try and get up. This only resulted in him falling flat on his back. He tried again and again, each time he ended up in the same scenario, with him flat on the bed. After many attempts, too many for him to admit, he was finally able to sit up.

Slowly bringing his legs to the edge of the bed, he placed his feet on the ground. As he began to stand up, he was attacked by dizziness. Nearly falling to the floor, he slammed his hand onto the bed to stabilize himself. When his balance was regained, he began to feel for the wall. After groping the darkness, his right hand met cold metal. Following along the lines of the wall he finally ended up where he wanted to be, in front of a door.

The door opened up with a loud _hiss._ The light beyond the door made Obi-wan cringe, but his eyes quickly adjusted and he was able to clearly see his surroundings. In front of him was a hallway, which he followed. As he walked along, mindful to keep his footfalls silent, he noticed that the ship was luxurious one. It may have been an older model, like the ones from his youth, but it was one fit for royalty none the less.

When he finally reached the end of the hallway, Obi-wan decided that it would be okay to step into the openness of whatever room he was approaching. As he stepped into the room, a droid ran out beeping and whirling as though he was running from something or someone. Soon after a small blur of blond hair and tan clothes, that nearly rammed into him, ran right after the droid.

"Wait R2! Let me take a look at you! I promise to put you back together!"

"Anakin?" Obi-wan said out loud in disbelief as his eyes followed the boy until he disappeared into another corridor. The next voice he heard, however, nearly sent him into a permanent state of shock.

"Ah, Obi-wan, you're finally awake. Here I thought you wouldn't wake till we reached the temple."

The Jedi master slowly turned around and was met with the face of his formally deceased master who wore an amused face at the sight of him.

"Qui-Gon?!"

"That is my name," Qui-Gon said teasingly.

"B-b-but how?" Obi-wan stammered.

Qui-Gon's face turned from humor to confusion at his apprentice's question.

"How what?' he asked.

"How are you here?! I saw you…." Obi-wan paused as Anakin came back round, finally leaving the droid alone in favor of listening to the Jedis' discussion. The boy came to stand at Qui-Gon's left side as he peered up at Obi-wan.

"Is this about the weird red face guy that attacked us?" he asked.

Qui-Gon's face eased up as the logic in the boy's question that allowed him insight into the confusion of apprentice.

"Ah yes, that must be why you're in a state. That man threw out a force signature so foul, it must have made you pass out seeing as you've never came across anything like him. You must have thought the worst for me, as you always do padawan." Qui-Gon said once more in a teasing tone.

Obi-wan's mind was racing. He could not believe where he was, or more appropriately worded, when he was. The cruiser had reminded him of the ones from his youth, because it _was_ the one from his youth. Somehow, in some way, he has been sent back to the times of his padawan years. And it was not just a random point either, it was the moment in which he first encountered Anakin Skywalker.

He was at a loss for words. The situation at hand needed to be handled delicately and with secrecy, lest he be declared mad. Looking away from Anakin and back to his Master Obi-wan opened his mouth to try and deter the attention away from himself, when his stomach desided let out a loud growl. His faced flushed with embarrassment and he tried to excuse himself.

Qui-Gon laughed and simply waved off whatever he was trying to say, He suggested they start heading for the mess hall to grab some much needed food. Obi-wan followed silently and obediently with a young Anakin in tow.

The once famed Negotiator was at a loss for words. All he could think of was that he had no idea how he got into this situation. Trying to compare this to anything in the past, even when his padawan messed up negotiations and they were imprisoned for three moons, couldn't amount to the sort of mess he was in. At least in those scenarios, there were solutions that allowed him to overcome any problem he came across. Now, in his present time, there was no foreseeable way for him to comprehend all of this, let alone come up with a game changer.

Reaching the mess hall, Obi-wan got the first food he saw and sat down. Soon after, his Master and Anakin came and sat down next to him. Biting into his meal, which was heaven to his stomach, Obi-wan was left to ponder on where he would go from this point forth. When they arrived in Coruscant, it would be so easy to slip into the cracks and live a life away from the brewing war. At the same token, however, could he knowingly let what was bound to happen come true?

A feminine laugh beside him brought his out of his musings and into the conversation that was taking place at his table. Padme, the queen, was still dressed in a handmaid's uniform and was laughing at whatever Qui-Gon had previously said. Anakin, was staring at Padme with such love and endearment that even a non-force sensitive being could sense his adoration for the woman next to him. Even though Obi-wan knew what fate laid for the child, he could not help but lower his guard at the sight of the youngling he once called his padawan. For all the years he spent in exile, all the pain he went through, and even his timely death, he could not bring himself to hate or even be cautious around him. The boy was just that, a boy.

The child had no link to who he would become. Though the child was to become Darth Vader, who he was now had no inkling to that man. In fact, one might argue that because he had not experience what ultimately made the Sith Lord come to the dark side, thus allowing Vader to never exist.

"Obi-wan?" asked a concerned voice. The easy conversation that was going on beside him had stopped and all eyes were on him.

"Are you alright?" Qui-Gon asked. "You haven't been yourself all day young one, what's troubling you?"

Obi-wan tried to come up with an answer that would quell the questions to his "unusual behavior," but the only option that he had was to voice something that he did not want to say at all. It was the only way, however, to steer their attention from him for a good while.

Taking in a deep breath he gave life to a lie that no one was prepared for. "To be honest Master, I don't think you should have brought the boy along. The events that have happened today correspond too much to the boy's appearance. Perhaps the boy should be put back on that dust bowl of a planet, least he brings about more trouble." Obi-wan finished the statement with a half-hearted glare that was aimed at the child.

While he had not meant anything of what he had said, he managed to flabbergast everyone at the table. Of course, the first one to break the silence was Anakin. The enraged boy began to scream at him in Huttese, all of which he understood perfectly. The words coming from that mouth could make a Hut lord blush, thought Obi-wan as he saw his former apprentice lose his composure right in front of him.

After the boy had his say, he stormed off crying to another part of the ship with Padme chasing after him. It was just Qui-Gon and himself at the table now. His Master spoke first.

"That was uncalled for my padawan. That boy has risked everything for us, and we owe our safety to him. He has lost the only world he has ever known in hopes of finding a better one at the temple. While I understand that you are a bit too analytical and that you don't care much for children, you should keep observations like that to yourself least you make an enemy out of an ally." With that, Qui-Gon left and went in the same direction as Anakin. Obi-wan sat alone at the table now.

With no one around, he left out a sigh of relief. While he did not want to make enemies with anyone or get on his Master's bad side, it was the only way he could distract them. All of them would be blinded with their fury that they would hardly notice any more of his "odd behavior," thus allowing him an opportunity to gain his bearings back.

Feeling exhausted again Obi-wan made his way back to the room that he was in. Slinking onto the bed, he let his mind go blank. Then the intercom made an announcement.

"Status report, we will be landing on Coruscant in approximately thirty minutes."

As Obi-wan heaved himself off of the bed, he silently wondered if he should reconsider a life away from the Temple.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I want to dedicate this chapter to my fiery redheaded friend who got on my ass to post this next chapter.

* * *

The Temple was as breathe taking as he remembered it. While he did have some reluctance coming out of the ship and actually following the party to the Temple, Obi-wan realized that he wouldn't have missed this for the world. Even Anakin, who was actively enraged at the sight of him and avoided being anywhere near him, was in awe of the beauty and majesty of the structure in front of him.

His reaction was exactly how Obi-wan remembered his own apprentice's to be. The boy looked as though he was being led to the gates paradise and all he could do was follow quietly and wide eyed at his surroundings. Obi-wan chuckled as he remembered how he too probably had looked when he came to the temple in his youth. As a youngling, he had seen pictures of the place where the Jedi gathered and trained, but it wasn't until Qui-Gon picked him to be his apprentice, that he actually got to see it in person. The images and replicas did not do it justice, the ambiance and presence that this place carried alone could stun even the most stoic of beings to be openly taken with the place. Obi-wan never forgot The Temple, and when Vader destroyed it, he almost died from that loss alone. Seeing it now, it was as if this sacred place had never known war, death, or defeat. It was as though none of it never happened.

'It _could_ never happen,' Obi-wan mused. If he planned everything just right, and took into the accounting how altering certain events could impact others, Obi-wan could keep the Sith from even getting near Anakin and his home. He took a glance at the young boy who was innocent and alive with youth, and that was all it took for him to vow that he would do everything in his power to stop his own past from ever coming into play.

As they went up the steps, Obi-wan looked up and saw that Master Windu and Master Yoda awaited them at the top. A sense of panic grabbed ahold of him. He had forgotten that all the Jedi Masters had returned, not just Qui-Gon. Master Yoda was known for being able to interpret the will of The Force better than anybody. Even better than Anakin.

When they reached the top Obi-wan took every ounce of his resolve that he could muster to stop himself from physically hyperventilating. Would Master Yoda out him in front of everybody? Would he let Obi-wan commit to his mission of altering the time line, or even let Anakin live if he found out what the boy was capable of? All this played in Obi-wan's head as he and his master bowed politely to the two members of the Jedi Council.

"It's good to see you alive and well Master Qui-Gon, we were worried after we lost transmission with you during the Negotiations. How are things on Naboo? Did things get settled?" Asked Windu.

Master Qui-Gon's face became serious. "We were attacked during the negotiations. My padawan and I were able to escape to the capital city Theed, only to find it taken over by The Federation. From there we escaped, but received heavy damage from our enemy. The crew was forced to land on the nearby planet Tatooine. From there we were able to get the necessary parts to repair our ship and get off planet."

With a small smile, Qui-Gon gently nudged Anakin in front of him and continued on with what he had to say.

"This brings me to my next point. Anakin here was the one who made it possible for us to leave the planet safely and without harm, without him, we would still be there. I decided to look into this remarkable young man and found that he has an unusually high midichlorian count. I was hoping, with your permission of course, that the Jedi Council would review him to see if it is possible for him to become a padawan whilst Obi-wan and myself escort the Queen to the Galactic Council's meeting."

The two Master's looked surprised. Well, Master Yoda seemed to have a skeptical look in his eye, whereas Master Windu looked as if he was moments away from protesting the idea.

"Troublesome, news you bring. Conflict is brewing, I fear. Avoid it we must, at all costs." Then Master Yoda shifted his attention to Anakin. "Remarkable, you say he is. Test him, we will. Great power, I sense, within him." Yoda said before Master Windu could argue.

Master Qui-Gon's face lit up in excitement and he knelt down to Anakin's level to address the boy. "Ani, this is Master Yoda. He is the head of the Jedi Council. Follow him, and he will test you to see if you are capable to become a Jedi. Don't worry, you'll be safe with them; I'll be there at the end of your trials."

The young boy hesitated to leave Master Qui-Gon, but he slowly nodded and followed the small green Master into The Temple. Master Windu stared at the pair, and then turned to glare at Obi-wan's Master.

"You know we can't allow him into the Order, he's much too old and full of emotion. I don't know what you're playing at, but I don't like."

"Why Windu, you sound almost accusatory. I simply want to test the boy to see his potential, I have no say in whether or not he makes it into the Order. As I said before, he is a remarkable child and I owe him a great debt, I simply want to help the him." Qui-Gon said with an easy smile and a light tone. Master Windu searched his face for any foul play, but seemed to find none. The older Master seemed to give into Qui-Gon's words, and simply shook his head in exasperation and left in the direction of Yoda.

"And that padawan, is how you defuse a situation" Qui-Gon said as he turned to Obi-wan with laughter in his eyes.

"Yes, but I don't think it counts if the other party is a close friend Master." Obi-wan said in rebuttal to his Master's comment. Said Master only laughed and walked back down the stairs.

"Come, we must escort the Queen and her company to the Senate. We don't want to keep them waiting."

Obi-wan took one last look at the Temple and followed his Master toward the Royal cruiser.

* * *

When Obi-wan boarded the ship, he could feel the intense glare of someone's seething anger towards him. It was so intense that he could hardly concentrated on his train of thought. The ship began to lift from the ground and everyone began to assume their positions in the ship, but before the former Jedi Master could follow his Master to wherever he was heading, a hand grabbed ahold of his arm and began aggressively leading him to another part of the ship. Obi-wan quickly saw that it was Padme who was almost violently leading him into a secluded part of the ship. When they finally found an area that was secluded enough for Padme's liking, she whirled around and unleashed her fury on him.

"What is all this Universe compelled you to say that to him?! Do you have any idea what he's been through, or what he sacrificed in order for us to get off that planet safely? No. No you don't, because your one of those pompous bantha's ass Jedis who do as they please under the guise of, 'it's the Will of the Force.' You've probably never suffered the way he did all his life for even a single day. What do you know of pain, suffering, or even sacrifice? Nothing, that's what."

As the senator took a breath to continue to her rant, Obi-wan quickly interjected his own opinions. "I said those words to prove a point. To interceded on the youngling's behalf, you have neglected the danger around you, all on an emotional response to the incident. You've thrown caution to the wind and perused me, a trained killer. Granted, I do full heartedly believe in the Order's code and their pacifist ideology, but I am trained to kill none the less."

To accentuate his point, Obi-wan drew his saber suddenly, the laser light cut the air between him and Padme. The area's dim light around them allowed the saber's blue light to almost singularly illuminate his face. He took a step toward Padme, and she took two steps back. Her eyes widened comically and her mouth was gaped open as if ready to scream, but unable to find the air necessary to do so. Soon, she backed herself into a wall and Obi-wan pinned her there. In no way was he touching her, nor was his blade, but it seemed as though his mere presence left her petrified and robbed her of the ability to run away. Leaning, he lowered his face as close as he physically could without creating physical contact with the queen.

The former Jedi Master looked her dead in the eyes, his calm breathes blew gently across her face. He uttered in an emotionless low tone, "Your words could have offended me. What do you know of _my_ sufferings or what _I've_ gone through? The ways of the Order are not known to outsiders, so you don't know anything about our way of life. We could be ruthless to our followers and beat them to an inch of their life to harden their minds and souls. Our exterior disposition could all be a hoax in order for us to secure a dangerously close position of power in society. The Order could be nothing more than a means to topple society itself and rebuild it again to our standards. All this could be true, and yet you've gone and mouthed off to me. I have you at my mercy, and there is nothing you can do about it. I can do anything I wanted right now and you would be powerless to stop me."

As suddenly as he drew his lightsaber, he retracted it and put it back away under his robes. Quickly, he backed off from the poor flabbergasted woman to let her regain her baring's. Continuing he said, "Of course that's all, and I quote, 'Bantha's ass.' I am merely trying to prove that even you, a grown adult, can make remarkable mistakes. Now, imagine a child like Anakin making those mistakes. That could lead to fatal results. The Jedi are not perfect, we are all living sentient beings in the end, which inevitably lead us to making poor choices just as everyone else does. We, however, have years of training and conditioning from the time we can walk in order to minimize these sort situations from coming to fruition. Anakin will be thrown into a world he doesn't understand and be told that every normal thing he has experienced needs to be forgotten and thrown away. It's hard for a child his age to change mentalities, and that's if he is allowed to join. In no way am I trying to be cruel, all that I've said and done is with that child's wellbeing in mind."

Turning on his heels, Obi-wan began to walk away from the area. Without looking back, he said called out loudly, "While admire your courage, we must pick and choose our battles. Politics are not a response to the emotional wants of the people, but instead to their needs. Am I not right, _your highness?_ "

When Obi-wan was sure he was out of Padme's line of sight, he leaned up against one the many walls of the ship and let out a shaky breath. This whole charade he was parading around was beginning to wear on him. He spared a moment's thought to his former apprentice, wondering if this was what the unruly Jedi meant when he complained of his Master's love for dramatics.

Thinking of him sent a twinge of pain into the Jedis' heart. He still regretted all that he'd done. While it was in an effort to try and save the known universe, his actions still haunted him. Pained screams and the words, 'I hate you' stole his sleep for many years while he lived in hiding on Tatooine.

Before, he could sink lower into his painful memories, the young Jedi cleared his mind and walked onward, following his Master's presence. He soon found his Master in the cockpit with the piolet, calmly surveying everything as they flew through the air.

When Obi-wan came in, Qui-Gon regraded him and said, "I was beginning to wonder where you had wondered off my padawan. Your usually so dutiful." With a playful smile he continued, "What mischief have you gotten yourself tangled in?"

Obi-wan let out a tired sigh, "Nothing of course, my Master. Why would I ever do anything so dreadful?"

That moment, Padme chose to walk in and both Jedis turned to look at her. While she looked perfectly fine appearance wise, her cheeks were visibly scarlet. She noticed a pair of eyes on her and she turned her eyes to meet their gaze. The Queen in disguise accidentally made visual contact with Obi-wan and her flushed face turned beet red. Quickly, she averted her gaze elsewhere. She walked to the opposite side of the room and stayed there for the duration of the ride.

Qui-Gon looked back at his apprentice with a wicked grin, "Yes, how foolish of me to think you would do anything so _dreadful_ my apprentice."

Obi-wan looked pointedly toward the cockpit and said nothing more to his Master. If he did not speak or look at his Master until they landed, it was no one else's business but his own.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I wanted to get this story dedicated to my fabulous friend who sits behind me in Government. May all your shoes be as beautiful as your makeup.

* * *

There was electricity in the air. After that disastrous council meeting, one Obi-wan had honestly forgotten about, he and his Master went back to The Temple to see how the boy was. As soon as they got there, however, it seemed as though Anakin was on edge. When they first arrived, the small child sat outside the chamber doors and his Master called out to him with happy wave, but they received no response from the usually alert and energetic boy. Confusion and concern was felt through Obi-wan's and Gui-Gon's bond and they hurried over to the child.

His eyes were glossed over and blank expression had overtaken his face. The little one usually radiated emotion and energy, but now nothing was being expressed. He sat ram rod straight and stared into the empty space in front of him. Unless Anakin had mastered the art of mental shielding in the short time they were away, which he never fully did even when he was older, then something was seriously wrong. Qui-Gon quickly went up to the boy and called his name, but he again received no response. His concern increased and he began to lightly to shake the child, but it did not work.

Obi-was was of course worried for the young one, but he had a suspicious feeling that he knew what this was. Putting a hand on his Master to calm him and silently asked him for permission to try something. Qui-Gon soon moved away from Anakin to give his apprentice some room. The former Jedi Master crouched in front the boy so that their faces were at equal levels with one another. He gently called out his name, which was rewarded with a quick jerk of the head from the unmoving adolescent. 'Ah,' Obi-wan thought, 'so it is that.'

Whatever happened to Obi-wan seemed to be happening to Anakin as well. Memories not his own had to be frothing in the poor child's mind, leaving him like a doll in the physical world. Whatever the child was seeing was no doubt a horror he never thought he would ever view. Suddenly, Obi-wan grabbed Anakin's hands, which garnered him a full body shiver, closed his eyes, and began to slowly press his consciousness into the mind the of the child.

* * *

 _Rage ran through him. How could he?! How could he not stand with him after the truth had been so undeniably revealed to him? All his life, he chased after the perfect image that his Master shadowed him with. Everything he's ever done was to make his Master proud. Every second he spent training and breaking his body in order to fit the Jedi mold was all for_ _ **him**_ _._

 _To see him standing across from himself was like a slap to his face. His rejection to his offer nearly killed him, but he had to strive onward. He learned long ago that he would never gain the attention he wanted from his Master, so he found it instead in his beautiful wife._

 _Another surge of rage went through him when thought about her. He couldn't have even a shred of happiness with his Master around. All that man did was take, and take, and take. She was HIS and his alone. Yet, even the strong willed Senator fell for his former Master's charm. With renewed purpose he raised his saber and-_

"-in."

 _The newly apprenticed Sith shook his head in confusion and tried to focus on the scene in front of him. This was probably another one of the Jedis' dirty tricks in order to deter him away from his task. Once more he raised his saber to strike down his-_

"Ana- "

 _Again, that soft voice called to him. With quick jerks of his head, he looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. Nothing was there, all he saw was the burning lava._

 _When he turned to face his Master again, he was startled to find the man had disappeared. Again, he quickly searched his surroundings, this time in anticipation of an attack, but the world around him began to fade and disappear. It felt like everything he saw was fluctuating with his breathing. The buildings would appear and reappear, as did everything else._

"Anakin."

 _He let out scream of frustration. What was going on?! He didn't understand what was happening. Nothing was making sense, one second he was here fighting and then-_

 _"_ _Come on Anakin' you can do it."_

 _Now, he sat atop the edge of a diving board that hovered precariously over a large pool of water. His Master was almost right underneath it, and had his arms reaching up toward him. He wore an encouraging smile, but Anakin still felt scared. He barely made the rank of padawan less than 4 months ago and was trying to get the basics over as soon as possible. This of course meant learning how to swim, which he never did due to previously living on a dessert based planet. The water looked as though it would swallow him whole._

 _"_ _I don't know how to swim Master, what if I drown?"_

 _His Master chuckled, "Then I'll be here to catch you young one, worry not."_

 _With his Master's encouraging words, he pushed off the board and-_

"Anakin, you need to reach out to me."

" _Come my apprentice, we must deal with the aftermath of your choices."_

 _Anakin felt a little bad about what had happened, but it wasn't his fault. He was just trying to help his Master out. It's not like he knew groping was customary on this planet. When that green tinted councilwoman smacked his Master's behind, he was quick to stand up and yell in protest to the blunt assault. This of course led to him and Master having to deal with a very angry room full of senators._

 _"_ _This, my young padawan, is why you're supposed to actually read the datapads I give you before a mission. Not go gallivanting off with your friends till the last possible second."_

 _"_ _But Master how could you possibly blame me for " -_

"Please Anakin, you must try."

 _Left, right, left, right. It seemed as though Count Dooku's saber was attacking from all sides all at once. Despite the fact that his Master and himself outnumbered the Count two to one, he out matched them both. Finally, the man found a weakness in their defenses and managed to catch Obi-wan off guard. With the upper hand finally gained, Dooku managed to Force throw his Master and knock him out. Now, Anakin stood alone against the clearly better trained Sith._

 _While they fought, Dooku whispered words to him. Slowly trying break him mentally and physically, trying to tempt him with the darkness. At first, he believed he could win. He believed that no mattered what was happening, the Force was on his side, because he was The Chosen One. This unseeingly innocent lie came crashing to the ground as Dooku cut off his arm._

 _Yelling out a scream of pain. Anakin clutched where his arm once was, but only felt a bleeding stump. The pain was too much; darkness began to ebb around his vision. All he wanted to do was sleep. All he wanted was to-_

"ANAKIN, REACH OUT TO ME NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"

 _A thunderous and commanding voice called out to him, it sent a surge of adrenaline and anxious energy through him. He struggled to stand, but when he did, he noticed the world around beginning to fall apart around. What was once a hanger, was now beginning to be consumed by a darkness. The pitch black mass began to creep toward him. Trying to get away from that looming danger, Anakin turned and ran to the last place he saw his Master at._

 _"_ IGNORE IT ANAKIN, THIS IS ONLY A MEMORY! FOLLOW THE SOUND OF MY VOICE!"

 _He wanted to make sure his Master was safe, but the voice compelled him to listen. While struggling against his wants and the wants of the voice, Anakin's legs began to make their way to where he last heard the voice. For a little while that's how things went, Anakin would hear a booming command and his legs would stagger toward the sound. This went on until he found himself in front of a door. It was simple one that was motioned senor activated and had no handle._

 _The voice had disappeared, but Anakin still felt the burning need to obey whatever it commanded of him. He knew that whatever the voice wanted from relied on him stepping through the doorway. It seemed as though the previous battle, the pain emitting from his arm, and even the worry he felt for his unconscious Master all shriveled in comparison to the voice's demands._

 _Taking a stepped toward the door, Anakin anticipated the hissing sound that it should make once it opened, but nothing happened. He stepped closer and closer to the door until his body made contact with the cool metal, but nothing happed still. Growing frustrated, he began to try and pry the door open with his hand, but it still would not open. Becoming desperate, he began to slam his body against the slab of metal in hopes of success. With each throw of his body, Anakin began to noticed that the door was trembling and even cracking with every movement force he made at it. With renewed fever, he rammed into harder and harder. His desperation to do as the voice said drove him insane with the singular desire to get on the other side of this door, no matter the cost._

 _Lost in his insane need, the padawan failed to notice the fragile state of the door. As he continued his actions, the door suddenly gave way, and Anakin fell through it._

* * *

The boy startled with a gasp. His eyes turned back to their electric blue and he broke posture. He began to cough as though he had not been able to breathe. Tears began to run down his face and all the fear he felt throughout the ordeal began to manifest in his mind. Suddenly he was engulfed in warmth.

When the boy began to cry Obi-wan quickly leaned in toward the him and embraced him. The small child clutched back as though his life depended on it. Anakin cried wordlessly into his shoulder and Obi-wan held him through it all. When the child finally stopped crying, he continued to hold him.

"What was that?"

'Damn, I forgot he was here,' thought Obi-wan. He didn't know what to say. How do you explain to your mentor that you were trying to prevent a small child from getting his memories of his future self, because in the future he is a murdering Sith Lord and an enemy to very order he was raised in? Obi-wan racked his brain for a decent excuse to his actions, but his mouth opened before he could actually plan out what he was going to say.

"There's no explaining it Master, one moment I was as clueless as you. The next moment I felt a warmth fill my mind and suddenly I knew I could heal whatever aliment the child had." While it was said in a calmer tone than Obi-wan believed he could muster in this situation, he still internally cringed at how silly the words sounded. His explanation sounded ridiculous and stereotypical, if his padawan had said anything remotely similar to what he just said he would have scoffed at him.

"I find that very hard to believe my apprentice," Obi-wan felt a bit defeated at that, "but seeing as there no other apparent reason to this madness, I'll believe it for now." Obi-wan perked up. His Master actually bought what he said, he was in the safe for now.

"I'm going in to see the council, stay here with the child." Turning, his Master walked into the chamber room and closed the doors behind him.

Obi-wan believed a sigh of relief, and readjusted his embrace on the child. A moment later, however, the boy leaned out of his arms to gaze at him. The Jedi peered back at the young one and waited patiently for whatever the child was going to say.

"Wow, you're a really good liar." The boy said.

Obi-wan's blood ran cold.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I know you just lied to him, I also know that you're different now. Something happened when you met me, something you can't explain. I don't know what you're up to, or what your gonna do, but I forgive you for those words you said to me. Now I know you were just trying to hide from answering some unanswerable questions."

Obi-wan cursed. How did he know? Did he let anything in his persona crack? Did he say something he wasn't suppose to? Did he-

"I actually know 'cause I can hear your thoughts, which is wizard by the way. How are you doing that? It's like I know exactly what you're feeling and thinking at this exact moment. Is it always like that for Jedis?"

That threw a wrench in Obi-wan's train of thought. It should be impossible for Anakin at this point and time to be able to hear his thoughts. There were only two possibilities as to how he was accomplishing this.

"Anakin," Obi-wan asked carefully, "what do you remember before now?"

"Nothing much, just the testing. I remember all those Jedi Masters asking me questions and when they were done, they told me to wait outside while they made a decision. After that I sat down. I was a little nervous about what they were going to say, but then I got mad when I remembered you and what you said to me. And then I remember …." The boy scrunched up his face in concentration. "I remember feeling so angry, and scared, and lost. It was dark everywhere, but I heard a voice calling my name. Then I woke up and you were hugging and I could hear your voice speaking to me even though you weren't talking."

A look of realization and wonder over took the boy's face, as though he figured out something he didn't know before.

"You were the voice weren't you? You're the one who saved me." The boy said in awe.

"Yes," Obi-wan said tentatively.

So, if it wasn't Anakin gaining his memories then it had to be the other option. Slowly checking his mindscape Obi-wan started to check and probe for anything unusual. He didn't have to search for long, stationed at the center of his mind was a force bond. While it looked relatively new, it seemed to have all the strength of one forged through years of connection. Having fond it, Obi-wan suddenly threw barriers around it, effectively blocking the boy out of his mind.

"Whoa, what happened? Why can't I hear you anymore?" Anakin asked, but Obi-wan ignored him

'Oh no,' thought the panicked Jedi, 'I've gone and force bonded with him.' A force bond is reserved for Masters and their padawans and was broken upon the padawan's knighting ceremony to signify their maturity, but Anakin and Obi-wan never broke theirs. They didn't break it like they were supposed to when Anakin was knighted, and they didn't break it when they were killing each other on the pits of Mustafar. All those years while he hid on Tatooine, Obi-wan had awaited the day Anakin or himself would sever the bond, but neither of them ever did. The Jedi had thrown many protective layers on top the bond and never thought about it again in case Darth Vader would try and use it, but he never did. When the old Jedi Master saw him again in battle, he assumed it would be broken, but even then, the bond remained. When Obi-wan pulled the young boy out of his memories, he must have pulled out that bond as well.

"What did I get myself into now?" The Jedi apprentice groaned as he pulled his hands away from the boy to cover his face.

"Hey, it's okay. You're gonna be okay. I know you will be. From what I can tell, you're an amazing Jedi."

The exasperated apprentice peeked through his fingers to look at the boy. He smiled at him and Obi-wan could not help but remove his hands smile back. This small moment drained all worry from the Jedi and filled him with hope. 'Perhaps the boy is right, maybe I can make it through this,' thought Obi-wan.

And then he heard the chamber doors opened.


End file.
